As tempting as it may be to pretend the 55-20 blowout loss to Mississippi State never happened, Ole Miss’ Egg Bowl embarrassment carries too much weight to be ignored. It serves as both a reflection on the 2016 campaign as a whole and possibly an indication of what’s to come for the program.
The Rebels’ string of ugly midseason losses exposed issues that should have prompted adjustments from the coaching staff. Instead, the defense never made up for its inefficiencies, and the offense was unable to solve its red zone problems.
Having to constantly recalibrate after injuries certainly made things more difficult, but it became clear by season’s end that the team’s failures weren’t merely a byproduct of roster depletion.